What Should I Do If I Accidentally Sprayed RoundUp on My Hydrangea?

You must act fast if RoundUp comes into contact with your hydrangea. (Image: Michael Turek/Photodisc/Getty Images)

RoundUp is a systemic herbicide made from a glyphosate compound that absorbs quickly into plants through their leaves. It becomes inactive when it is sprayed onto the ground. RoundUp is non-selective and is effective on a broad spectrum of plants, including hydrangeas. It is a water-soluble solution and is delivered by spraying the mixture onto the leaves of the plants to be controlled. It travels through the leaves and into the roots, turning the foliage brown, and controlling the plant in this way. Accidental application of RoundUp can kill hydrangeas, but there are some steps you can take to save your plant.

Things You'll Need

Clean spray bottle

Fresh water

Cease spraying of other plants immediately if you suspect that RoundUp has been sprayed on or drifted onto your hydrangea leaves.

Fill a clean spray bottle with fresh water.

Saturate hydrangea leaves that you believe have been sprayed. Literally spray them with so much water that it runs off the leaves as if they were being rained on. Time is of the essence here. RoundUp cannot be removed after 30 minutes, so the sooner you spray the hydrangea with fresh water, the better the chance that it will survive. After a hydrangea has been sprayed with RoundUp, however, there is no guarantee of survival no matter how much fresh water is sprayed onto the leaves.